hand stamps

[LavenderPeach]

I have a question about hand stamps. What exactly is the point of the stamps? Usually places will stamp your hand to show you have already been there and so you don't need to show your ticket. I know you have to show your ticket when you go back into the parks, but do you have to have your hand stamped as well? Even if you have an AP?

 

[prettyprincessbelle]

The point of the hand stamp is make sure you didn't get your ticket from someone else who used it earlier that day. To enforce the nontransferable rule. So when they scan you ticket, it will show you already came earlier that day or that you park hopped, and if you don't have your hand stamped then they might think you got the ticket from someone else. Does that make sense?

Earlier this year, DBF and I were in line to get our APs scanned and there was a group of 3 people in front of us. The CM scanned the lady's ticket and asked to see her hand stamp, and she didn't have one. The CM looked around for another CM and couldn't find one, so she scanned the tickets of the other people in her party and they all had hand stamps, so the CM let the lady go. She really shouldn't have, but I think the CM didn't want to go find a lead to ask if they should let her go.

No, you don't need a hand stamp if you have an AP since your picture comes up. I get one anyways though!

 

[LavenderPeach]

The point of the hand stamp is make sure you didn't get your ticket from someone else who used it earlier that day. To enforce the nontransferable rule. So when they scan you ticket, it will show you already came earlier that day or that you park hopped, and if you don't have your hand stamped then they might think you got the ticket from someone else. Does that make sense?

Earlier this year, DBF and I were in line to get our APs scanned and there was a group of 3 people in front of us. The CM scanned the lady's ticket and asked to see her hand stamp, and she didn't have one. The CM looked around for another CM and couldn't find one, so she scanned the tickets of the other people in her party and they all had hand stamps, so the CM let the lady go. She really shouldn't have, but I think the CM didn't want to go find a lead to ask if they should let her go.

No, you don't need a hand stamp if you have an AP since your picture comes up. I get one anyways though!

Thanks! It didn't make sense that we would need a stamp with an AP but they are there giving stamps to everyone so you feel like you have to have one. But I am paranoid about doing the "wrong" thing so I'll probably just go ahead and get the stamp anyway. Thanks for the explanation!

 

[prettyprincessbelle]

You're welcome! I still get my hand stamped just because I like reading what the stamp says!!! When you re-enter they never ask for your hand stamp if you have an AP.

 

[YellowMickeyPonchos]

Hey gals.... it's also a pacification technique....

As AP holders, we used to never get the hand stamps until my visiting friend and her daughter pretty much upset the perfect apple-cart we had going.

My oldest never cared, until my friend's 6 yr old made a big deal about the hand stamp and why didn't we get one, too. Now, Z has to have her hand stamped every single time we leave the park or else we hear about it in a drama queen fit that any teen would be proud of....

(Yes - we have gone back to shut her up....)

 

[LavenderPeach]

Hey gals.... it's also a pacification technique....

As AP holders, we used to never get the hand stamps until my visiting friend and her daughter pretty much upset the perfect apple-cart we had going.

My oldest never cared, until my friend's 6 yr old made a big deal about the hand stamp and why didn't we get one, too. Now, Z has to have her hand stamped every single time we leave the park or else we hear about it in a drama queen fit that any teen would be proud of....

(Yes - we have gone back to shut her up....)

Oh dear! I can see how it is very important to make sure you get that hand stamp.

I was thinking that the stamps are also fun to have if you go on a dark ride with the black lights so you can see it glow. I noticed that the stamps are now visible w/o a black light but I seem to remember them being invisible before so it was sometimes hard to tell what it said until you went on a ride.

 

[prettyprincessbelle]

That is too funny! Poor thing felt left out!!!

DBF rolls his eyes at me when I get my hand stamped too. He's like "you're wasting their special glowy ink!!"

 

[Davids-Coco]

It seems like the stamping is more fail-proof than those finger scanners at WDW, which seemed to always be broken for us. What I find interesting is that sometimes they check and sometimes they don't. But then again, that seems normal too, lol.

 

[YellowMickeyPonchos]

Aren't they testing removing the finger scanners? I heard they took some out of the MK at WDW. I think I even saw one on eBay at MouseSurplus. (Yes - I shop there. We have an old GCH armoire in our bedroom...)

It's funny, because the WDW folks that come here for the first time look really baffled that they don't have the scanners.

 

[Krissy Marissy]

Aren't they testing removing the finger scanners? I heard they took some out of the MK at WDW. I think I even saw one on eBay at MouseSurplus. (Yes - I shop there. We have an old GCH armoire in our bedroom...)

It's funny, because the WDW folks that come here for the first time look really baffled that they don't have the scanners.

Aww I liked those finger scanners! And where can we get old disney stuff on ebay??

 

[bumbershoot]

But I am paranoid about doing the "wrong" thing so I'll probably just go ahead and get the stamp anyway.

If you say "I have an AP" they'll turn away from you and go on to the next guest.

I think I even saw one on eBay at MouseSurplus. (Yes - I shop there. We have an old GCH armoire in our bedroom...)

Oohhhhh.

 

[prettyprincessbelle]

If you say "I have an AP" they'll turn away from you and go on to the next guest.

Yep! Also I know at DCA they have a turnstile that doesn't have a CM with a hand stamp and you can go out that one. I think it's the last one of the left hand side. I don't know about DL, I never paid attention, but I'm sure they have one too.

 

[bumbershoot]

I should add that they won't STOP you from getting a stamp if you're an AP holder. I know this b/c I have a 4 year old who likes writing on himself and putting stickers on his hands and arms, and thinks that hand stamps are the BEST combination of the two. EVER.

 

[Disneylvrforever]

I LOVE getting my hand stamped!!! Whenever I exit out of the parks, I alaways get it stamped, even if it's more than once and when a CM tells me that I already have one, I ask for another.
I did have a grouchy CM one time. When I went through the turnstyle, the CM didn't ask if I wanted my hand stamped so I didn't get it done. I was kinda sad and told my DM. She said that I should go back since the CM saw me exit. We were still by the exit and when I asked the CM for a hand stamp, they werenm't going to give it to me & I even said that I just came from their turnstyle. No dice. Then I said that I was an AP and they replied that I didn't need one. But I said that I wanted one anyways, so that's when they gave in and gave me my stamp.
But I have had nice CMs too that see that I like handstamps and will stamp my hand slowly so that all the letters will turn out perfectly. I love those CMs.

 

[Alex2kMommy]

That is too funny! Poor thing felt left out!!!

DBF rolls his eyes at me when I get my hand stamped too. He's like "you're wasting their special glowy ink!!"

but it looks so cool on the dark rides!

 

[LavenderPeach]

Update:

When we were at DLR on Jan 1 they were requiring that EVERYONE get a hand stamp, even those with APs. I didn't realize this until we were coming back into the park and the CM looked to make sure I had my hand stamp. There was a sign outside of the gates saying something to this effect but I thought maybe it didn't mean people with APs but since I'm paranoid about doing the wrong thing I got a stamp anyway so it's a good thing I did. So, I guess on very busy days they require everyone to get one.

 

[goofycathy]

Oooooh I LOVE the stamps, the always smell like lemon dishwashing detergent, its something we all do the second we get our stamps, so if you see two adults and two kids walking around like a bunch of morons with our hands glued to our noses.....THATS US!

 

[PinkBudgie]

I'm always too afraid not to get one also even with an AP. Then I get re-stamped if it looks too dim.

 

[never2muchdisney]

Update:

When we were at DLR on Jan 1 they were requiring that EVERYONE get a hand stamp, even those with APs. I didn't realize this until we were coming back into the park and the CM looked to make sure I had my hand stamp. There was a sign outside of the gates saying something to this effect but I thought maybe it didn't mean people with APs but since I'm paranoid about doing the wrong thing I got a stamp anyway so it's a good thing I did. So, I guess on very busy days they require everyone to get one.

The same thing happened to us this past Christmas Day. We are all AP holders, and the CM told us on the way in that today we are required to get a hand stamp before leaving the parks if we plan to return. On the way out Christmas Day, a sign was posted at each of the exits that read, Everyone, including AP holders must get a hand stamp today because to the high volumn of visitors. We never did figure out what high volumn visitors have to do with hand stamps, but we for sure got stamped on the way out!

 

[McCall]

I was there on Dec. 27th and same thing AP's needed hand stamps and it has to do with the high volume of visitors in that they were closing the parks to new entries. so perhaps if you had come earlier and got in and were returning and HAD the hand stamp they would re-admit you even if they were not allowing first time that day entries.